Balearic president condemns “constant arrival” of undocumented immigrants to islands, fuel and electricity prices soar in Spain, big weather change across much of the country and more news on Wednesday September 16th.
Balearic president condemns “constant arrival” of undocumented immigrants
Balearic right-wing president Marga Prohens has condemned the central government’s inaction in the face of the “constant arrival” of undocumented immigrants to the Balearic Islands.
She claimed that residents of Colònia de Sant Jordi saw a boat arrive this week and are staying locked in their homes out of fear.
Far-right party Vox has backed Prohens’ claims, adding that a migrant crisis similar to Ceuta’s could happen in the archipelago too. Vox spokersperson Manuela Cañadas warned that “Ceuta is a crystal ball for what awaits the Balearic Islands if the invasion is not stopped”.
“More than 5,300 illegal immigrants have arrived this year, and more than 7,000 last year. This is not a normal situation… We are not just talking about numbers; we are talking about what is already happening on our streets,” Cañadas added.
Fuel and electricity prices soar in Spain
Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) has confirmed that fuel prices jumped 24 percent last month, double the increase in July and a four-year high. Diesel rose by 30.3 percent, while gasoline increased by 16.9 percent.
Electricity prices also increased by 9.2 percent year-on-year. Overall, energy prices have risen by 16.9 percent in just one year, a level of increase not seen since September 2022.
In addition to this, inflation rose by 4.3 percent in August, an unprecedented surge in three years driven by the persistent energy crisis caused by the war in Iran.
Shift to autumnal weather in Spain this week
After an intense heatwave at the beginning of September, followed by unseasonably warm temperatures mid-month, the weather might just begin to take a turn towards autumn this week.
According to meteorologists from Meteored, showers and strong storms are due to hit the coast of Catalonia later this week, extending towards the Balearic Islands.
Light rain will also begin mid-week in the north of the country including Cantabria and Asturias. This will later move into heavier showers in Andalusia, the eastern half of Castilla-La Mancha, Teruel, and the interior of Valencia. Thunderstorms could also be possible in Madrid.
Moroccan footballer faces backlash after wearing T-shirt supporting Ceuta
Real Betis winger Ez Abde defended himself on Tuesday after receiving insults on social media for wearing a shirt in support of Spain’s north African territory Ceuta before his side’s match against Villarreal.
Players from both teams wore t-shirts bearing the slogan ‘we are all Ceutans’ before Betis’s 2-1 win on Monday at Villarreal’s La Ceramica stadium in La Liga.
The gesture prompted some backlash against Abde, a Moroccan international, who was born in Morocco and raised in Spain.
Some social media users accused the 24-year-old of betraying his country and called for him to be dropped by the Moroccan national team.
Abde defended his participation in the initiative on Tuesday, insisting it had no political intention or aim of disrespecting Morocco.
With additional reporting from AFP.
